iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A summary of the demands that triggered Canada to walk away from the trade negotiations. And will likely threaten renewal of CUSMA, which the US clearly doesn't want to renew. These items aren't about trade, it's about control that threatens Canada as a nation. #tariffs #Canada #CUSMA #USCMA

141

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Which states have the most passport holders? An interesting map. rusticpathways.com/blog/how-man...

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

For people moving away from big tech products, saw this helpful list of alternatives. I use some of these myself and they work just as well as MS Office, Google, etc. For an operating system (OS) Mint is just as easy as Windows. And they're all free.

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I wonder how hard it is to modify a smartphone design to accept 'normal' batteries? And if one were to buy a European smartphone would it be usable in Canada? (Er, asking for a friend) euroweeklynews.com/2026/04/17/n...

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Saw this on Mastodon which has a lot of Canadians -- many of whom will find this hilarious.

Screenshot of text that says "If you've never had your car stolen in France, you don't know voiture missing". (Voiture is the French word for car).

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Happy Canada Day! It's nice to have a long-weekend holiday. There will be fireworks. #Canadaday

030

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

I just discovered my blub-bottomed glass does this when you knock it over. You can spin it too if you nudge it gently (slowly, after all it’s breakable)! But no, it's not actually hovering in the air. #FunWithDishes

Photo of a clear drinking glass that has a bulb shaped bottom. The glass is tipped over at about a 30 degree angle. Because of the bulb-shaped bottom, it can't rest on it's side. There is a little bit of liquid in it that has not spilled. When the glass is tipped like this, if you nudge it gently it spins.

130

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

This lovely dude was a stray who appeared from under a bush in the country 7 years ago. Scrawny, so skinny you could feel every bone, chunks of fur missing. Fleas. Worms. So hungry he ate cans of Fancy Feast in 5 seconds flat. Super friendly, clever, acts more like a dog. Best buddy ever. #Caturday

051

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

These are 2 fledgling baby robins still in their nest just yesterday. Their feathers aren't long enough to allow them to fly. Today, the nest is empty which means they fell out. That means they're on the ground, likely under a bush. Fledglings are very vulnerable. PLEASE keep your #cats in.

Photo of adolescent robins called fledglings in a nest under the roof of a covered porch. A chubby adolescent sits precariously perched on the edge of a small grassy nest. Its sibling is hunkered down by its side. On the robin that is standing up, you can tell it has some feathers but they are not at their full length.

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

It may be impossible to take a bad picture of this gorgeous dish at Parkes. #Radiotelescope #space #Australia

020

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Sydney really is a stunningly beautiful city. But beware of these lovely feather felons. This one swooped down out of nowhere and stole a piece of toast right out of my hand -- just when I was about to take a bite! 🤣 #Australia #kookaburra #bird

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Well, this is an interesting result from Wordle bot's analysis of my results.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Look at that little crescent on the right of the Moon. Hi Earth! Hi little piece of Sun! #Artemis #Orion #NASA #space

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Today, Central Time. History is happening right now. Tune in to the live feed from NASA.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

We went to the beach yesterday to look at sculptures. We wore our winter coats. Today it snowed. Happy spring, #Toronto style!

020

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Time to play Can You Spot the Neighbor's Car? #Snowmageddon

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Lots of ice and snow in your area? If you can, put some feed out for birds and other wildlife. They can't forage in this.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Stories from the past can help put risks into perspective. Many of the adult islanders died because they had never been exposed to #measles. They hadn't had it as kids, and no #vaccines. Zero protection. Measles also decimated indigenous populations in the Americas when Europeans first arrived.

030

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Modern medicine and vaccines really aren't that bad.

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Diphtheria was described as the Strangling Disease. The disease causes a build-up of thick sticky mucous, so thick small children couldn't cough it up. It built up to a point where they literally were strangled to death. Diphtheria is still around. Treatments aren't that great. Vaccines prevent it.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Print copies of "From Typewriters to Twitter" are now available. I helped create this fun book for the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC). It's a snapshot history of science writing in Canada and covers the 1960s through 2021.To buy copies, contact the SWCC office. sciencewriters.ca

100

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Meanwhile, in Norway a simple way to prevent bird deaths. Painting one blade of a wind turbine black can dramatically reduce #bird collisions and death by up to 70%. When the blades turn, birds see a grey smudge in the air that they know they need to fly around. #energy #wind

100

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

If you're pining for the olden days, did you know you can get a handset for your cell phone? Lots of online places sell them. And there are apps you can install so you can dial numbers instead of pressing the button images. Full circle?

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

This looks like fun. Joe Schwarcz is a great science writer. #scicomm

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Ok, weird. About 2 minutes ago, the 'Is It Down' website said it was down -- but now it says it's working. But I still can't access it -- and I tried 2 different browsers. Maybe it just doesn't like me. 🤷

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Been growing a tomato plant in a pot in the bedroom for most of the winter. The odd tomato appeared a few weeks ago. Today I harvested a bumper crop! It took a LONG time for the plant to do much. Next winter: a better grow light.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Before vaccines, diphtheria killed so many kids, some places built specialized cemeteries. Diphtheria used to kill about 15% of young children each year. The #vaccine is very effective, basically eliminated the disease from North America. There are still no good medical treatments for it.

Photo of a sign at the entrance to a cemetery It says "Diphtheria cemetery". It is located in Jackson County, Wisconsin.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Good advice from a bank. Avoid scams and fraud. Some tips.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Missed posting this May 4. But hey, it's still May!

Text box says May the Forest be With You.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

There was even the odd specialized cemetery before vaccines were widely used. Diphtheria killed about 15% of all kids each year. It's a disease that's still around in some parts of the world. Still no good treatments for it. Vaccines *prevent* it.

Photo of a sign at the entrance to a cemetery. It says Diphtheria Cemetery. It's on Hixon-Levis Rd. Garden Valley, Jackson Wisconsin.

010

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Did you know that pre-vaccines diphtheria killed ~15% of young kids each year? So many deaths, some were buried in specialized cemeteries. Thick mucus builds up in the throat kids can't cough up, strangling them. There is still no cure. It's still around, but prevented by #vaccines. Look at history.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

A note about formaldehyde. It's actually formed naturally in many living things in processes related to DNA synthesis. The amounts made in our body is so small it's easily eliminated. The amount that MIGHT be in a #vaccine is tinier than what you get in fruit, or is made by your own body.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

It's all about who gets tested. Lots of kids have been tested. Very few of their parents have been. And the definitions for what autism is have changed which affects numbers. While there has been some increase, much is related to genetics. Lots of things to consider, but #vaccines aren't a cause.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

This population had never been exposed to #measles. This means adults, as well as kids and babies, got the infection when it showed up on the island. When adults get measles, well, it's not fun.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

In US history, the effectiveness of #vaccines was recognized. Getting the disease is far riskier than the tiny risks from a vaccine. Besides, who wants to spend any time getting sick?

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

There are some populations out there known to avoid vaccines. Comparative population studies have been done. This one basically found that unvaccinated kids and teens got sick more than vaccinated kids.

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Today's count on PubMed for published studies using the search term 'measles vaccine' is over 15,000. They go back many decades.

030

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

A quick search on "autism" shows 83,660+ studies on PubMed alone. Genetics, population studies, #vaccine safety, exposures, familial, heritability, treatments, changing definitions, socio-demographic, etc. Science already has a pretty good idea of causes, etc. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov?term=autism

000

askpippa.bsky.social @askpippa.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

A glimpse of the future? Time travellers? There is an abstract in PubMed dated April 2026.

000